Colorado Anyone skied Echo Mountain?

[coskigirl]

AKA - I’m going through withdrawal. For a variety of reasons (concussion, school, holiday) my skiing prospect for the next several weeks is poor. I’m starting to reach a level of strategizing options. Echo Mountain offers night skiing and relatively cheap skiing overall. I realize that this skiing is absolutely going to be at a lower level than what I’m used to but I’m wondering if it’s a place that would scratch the itch for an hour or two after classes on weekends?

 

[Itinerant skier]

yes. it's a fun little area at night. Much closer to Denver than anywhere else. Think Midwestern skiing. One chair with fairly open slopes on each side and a trail through the woods. Lodge is mid slope. Went with a colleague one night and we were the only people there. The bar had CO local brews in cans cheap.

 

[Ken_R]

AKA - I’m going through withdrawal. For a variety of reasons (concussion, school, holiday) my skiing prospect for the next several weeks is poor. I’m starting to reach a level of strategizing options. Echo Mountain offers night skiing and relatively cheap skiing overall. I realize that this skiing is absolutely going to be at a lower level than what I’m used to but I’m wondering if it’s a place that would scratch the itch for an hour or two after classes on weekends?

They re-did the lodge a few years ago and looks very nice. The skiing, well, it is just a few runs (green/blue) so nothing spectacular (well the views are nice, but at night ). It is certain better than no skiing and better than nothing. I think they actually have real snow this year.

 

[RachelV]

Well, it is skiing. Its one chair and it takes about 30 seconds to get to the bottom. I think midwestern skiing is a good comparison. I’d say it’s worth a try.

 

[dbostedo]

You can always practice things on smaller flatter hills for fun/variety... skiing switch, one legged skiing, 360s, etc.

 

[doc]

The vertical feet + # of lifts + # of runs/miles driven to and from ratio is not very good.
I live in Evergreen and not really sure Echo Mtn. is worth the 40 mile round trip.
Would Eldora be a better bet?
I do have a soft spot for Echo Mtn. as I remember my dad hauling me up there in the early-mid '60s when it was known as Squaw Pass.

 

[RuleMiHa]

Doesn't Keystone have night skiing?

 

[Muleski]

I’ve been there twice, both when it operated as the Front Range Ski Club. Our daughter’s NCAA college team spent a day or two over each of two seasons and they actually trained there.

I absolutely think it would scratch the itch. Make some nice turns, feel the snow under the skis, breeze in the face. Get outside. Make a few laps.

Sometimes I think this crowd gets a bit hyped up on things like: vertical, terrain, challenge.
Pretty sure I sense what you’re thinking.

This would work. Would imagine a very light crowd, too.

 

[Itinerant skier]

Doesn't Keystone have night skiing?

yes. And is another hour further, so two more hours round-trip

I don't think Eldora currently has night skiing? Have never understood why more CO areas don't.

 

[coskigirl]

The vertical feet + # of lifts + # of runs/miles driven to and from ratio is not very good.
I live in Evergreen and not really sure Echo Mtn. is worth the 40 mile round trip.
Would Eldora be a better bet?
I do have a soft spot for Echo Mtn. as I remember my dad hauling me up there in the early-mid '60s when it was known as Squaw Pass.

If I were to do this it would be for after school days so Saturday evening or Sunday afternoons and I'd be coming from DU, not Boulder county. I do use Eldora sometimes when going from home but that's becoming more complicated with crowd issues.

Doesn't Keystone have night skiing?

yes. And is another hour further, so two more hours round-trip

I don't think Eldora currently has night skiing? Have never understood why more CO areas don't.

I don't have an Epic pass and as Itinerant skier mentioned it is much further. Eldora doesn't have night skiing.

 

[tball]

Anyone take kids to Echo Mountain? I was thinking of avoiding the I-70 mess with a day at Echo Mountain some weekend. Seems perfect for that.

At first, I was afraid it would be too boring for our kids who are progressing from greens to blues. Looking a bit further, now I'm wondering if it's too steep? They have a magic carpet for beginners, but mostly blues that look fairly steep after that.

 

[Dave Petersen]

As others have mentioned it is very similar to Midwest skiing. I stopped by to check it out quite a few years ago on a trip to Breckenridge. At the time it was more of a terrain park type of area.

You can see the place from the Interstate around Idaho Springs. I thought it would be a short drive up there but it seemed to take a little longer than I anticipated.

 

[Bad Bob]

Way better to ski blues and greens than walk around on brown grass and gray concrete.

If it were early season you would probably be on the WROD, Go ski.

 

[James]

Ski teams from the east used to go there early season. I never heard anything about it being steep like say the race trail at Spruce at Stowe. But that doesn't mean much.
Just go, it's hardly a cliff.